… for Election Integrity in the US.
Last Friday, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit stayed a district court order, allowing the U.S. Postal Service to move forward with its proposed election-mail rule while the litigation continues. Under the proposal, states would be required to provide voter registration lists and serialized ballot barcodes before the USPS would carry federal election mail. If the rule ultimately takes effect in time, it could affect the administration of this November’s general election.
California may now face a significant policy decision. One option would be to comply with the federal request for voter registration records under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which some observers argue could lead to the removal of ineligible registrations, including non-citizens if identified. Another option, depending on how the litigation and related policies develop, would be to modify or discontinue aspects of the state’s universal vote-by-mail system while retaining its current voter registration lists.
To date, this case has received relatively little national media attention. That could change as the litigation progresses and political leaders, advocacy groups, and news organizations respond to the appellate court’s ruling and its potential implications for election administration.
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